10 Tips We Grabbed Backstage At Miss USA 2017

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When you’ve got 12 CHI Haircare stylists to prep and style 51 beauty queens, you can bet it’ll be a weekend of glamour with a side of organized chaos. For more than a decade, Farouk Systems, Inc. has sponsored Miss USA and we were there in the middle of all the backstage action to watch it all come together. Check out 10 tips we gathered while behind the scenes!

1. The Return of the Crimping Iron!

When your fine-haired client needs a little help in the volume and texture department, help her out with the CHI Onyx Ceramic 1-inch Crimping Iron. Before you curl her hair, bring the Crimping Iron close to the scalp and press down just once. By crimping the root, you eliminate the need to tease. Note: only crimp the interior of the hair so you can hide it underneath!

Watch how Anna uses the CHI Crimping Iron below!

2. Keep Volume at the Roots Only
Check out this technique Farouk Global Artist Anna Cantu uses to create and keep volume strictly at the roots. Using the CHI G2 Ceramic Iron, move the tool in a C-formation and move in opposite directions as you work you way down the head. This will create volume and texture in places you don’t want a tight and springy curl.

See the technique in action below!

3. Create the Perfect Roller Set

Hollywood Waves are hot right now, meaning it’s time for you to perfect the roller set. Starting at the root, hold the CHI DURA 1¼-inch Curling Iron horizontally to the head. (Pay close attention to the ends, as they have to be perfectly curled to achieve the desired set.) Hold the iron for 3 to 4 seconds, then open the iron while holding the curl in place. Finally, clip the back of the curl with a duck bill clip and let cool.

Check out how Julian creates the perfect roller set in the video below!

4. The Secret For Creating a Twisted Updo

Your client doesn’t have to be a beauty queen to rock this twisted updo. Start by creating a high pony and secure with an elastic. (Be sure to cover the elastic!) Then, backcomb at the root. “Backcombing is the base of any hairstyle—it gives you more body, expansion and support,” says Farouk Artist Julian Macias. Smooth the rest of the pony, create a twist and secure. Pinch and pull to create volume, then secure the end of the ponytail and begin to shape the updo.

Watch the full Twisted Updo How-To below!

5. The Top Knot—No Cushion Necessary!

Anna taught us how to create a secured top knot sans cushion. Leave out a small section of hair underneath, then tease her hair, gather it all and roll up—this will be used for the cushion. Secure by inserting pins on the sides of the updo. Next, tease at the roots only of the section that was left out below the “cushion.” Smooth the hair and flip it over the top of the cushion. Spray with hairspray, then use the end of the comb to control her hair. (Do not brush her hair!)

Watch how Anna creates this look below!

6. The Trick to Enhancing Her Natural Curls

Miss USA 2017 Kára McCullough wanted to embrace her natural curl for the competition. Watch below as Farouk Artist Albert Luiz enhances her natural curl by prepping the roots with CHI Magnified Volume Finishing Spray, massaging the root with his index finger and thumb to work the product in. Then, he uses a tapered ¾-inch curling rod to wrap the hair and create the perfect curl.

7. Utilize the Back of Your Hand

Tired of reaching for your go-to product every time a new flyaway pops up? Farouk Artist Meagan Shephard always keeps CHI Pliable Polish on the back of her hand so she can quickly tame flyaways.

8. Sore Wrist From All That Curling?

Wrist pain can’t happen when you’ve got a full day behind the chair. To help, switch out your regular curling iron for this self-rotating iron! The CHI ARC Curling Iron rotates with the push of a button! Styling has never been this easy, or pain free, when backstage or at the salon.

9. Location, Location, Location!

It turns out the climate you work in can affect which products you should be using. Since this year’s Miss USA happened in Las Vegas, Farouk Stylist Tammy Mixon’s go-to product for the desert setting was the CHI Deep Brilliance Optimum Finish Flexible Hold Hairspray. When in a city that is very humid, Tammy says her most-used product would be the Magnified Volume Finishing Spray.

Watch Tammy talk about her go-to products in the video below!

10. Say Goodbye to Creasing

To leave as little crease as possible while the hair is setting, Julian recommends placing a napkin, business card or playing card under a single-prong clip to keep its shape until show time without leaving a mark.